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Chapter 14. Election: Gods Initiative In Salvation

1. Gods Sovereignty

IN a previous section (The Providence of God) we have briefly referred to the

sovereignty of God. A number of closely related topics were there also

discussed. It is necessary at this point to consider Gods sovereignty in its

relation to human salvation. This relation is usually expressed by the terms

predestination or election. As will appear in due time, however, the question of

election and predestination turns upon the question whether God or man takes

the initiative in salvation. In this question are bound up all other issues

involved in the general problem. Hence we have adopted as the principle to beexpounded here Gods initiative in the salvation of men. As in creation, so also

in redemption, the fundamental truth is expressed in the language ofGen. 1: 1,

In the beginning God. The motive, the method, and the end of human

salvation all arose out of the nature of the infinitely holy God. The initiative

was with God, not with man. This in brief is the ultimate meaning of the divine

sovereignty as it relates to our salvation. All systems of theology in the end are

bound to recognize it as a fundamental truth, despite the fact that manysystems have failed to apply it consistently.

1. In approaching the subject we should avoid certain errors in the manner ofconceiving Gods sovereignty. Chief among these has been the habit of making

the sovereignty of God depend upon his mere will or good pleasure. It is

the same kind of error which we discussed in connection with the atonement.

Many of the same general cautions are necessary here. The danger is the

fallacy of the abstract method. We are in danger of taking a single aspect, or

attribute, or quality in the divine nature instead of the divine nature as a whole.

We may in our thoughts take Gods will apart from his righteousness and apart

from his love, and combine it with his infinite power. In so doing we are in

danger of conceiving God as an arbitrary despot instead of a being who loves

and seeks the good of all. In a word, we must avoid the abstract method and

think of God as he is revealed in the Scriptures, and especially as he is

supremely revealed in Christ. God is more than will. He is an infinite Person,

rich in all moral attributes. He is the eternal Father, as Christ is the eternal Son.We must never, therefore, exalt the mere will of God, apart from his character

as so revealed, in our efforts to define his sovereignty.

2. Some forms of the older Calvinism will serve as examples of the danger weare considering. There were two forms, of it which may be mentioned. Both

arose as the result of applying the rigid forms of logic to the idea of Gods
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sovereignty as inhering in his will alone. One form asserted that God

foreordained some men to eternal life for the exhibition of his love, and others

to eternal death for the exhibition of his justice, and that he created men with

these ends in view. It followed from this that the atonement of Christ was

made not for the whole world, but for the elect alone. The other was a

somewhat modified form of this view. It held that the purpose to createpreceded the purpose to save. But along with this it was held that some were

chosen for eternal salvation and others were chosen in the same way for eternal

reprobation or damnation. The limited atonement was also an essential element

in this view.

3. In these views we have a striking example of the abstract method. Theywere due to the fact that their authors conceived of Gods mere will apart

from his character, and with this false premise they proceeded by a rigid logicto their false conclusions. Undoubtedly these views contain one truth, which is

that the salvation of individual men is to be traced to the initiative of God. He

took the first steps and continued his gracious action until men believed and

were saved. But it is not true that God created men expressly in order that he

might damn them, for he willeth that none should perish, but that all should

live. It is not true that Christs atonement was limited. It was a universal

atonement, as we have already seen. It is not true that God acted in saving and

condemning men in an arbitrary manner after the fashion of a human despot.

He was and is the personal eternal and holy Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All his dealings with mankind are consistent with this supreme fact. That it is

so consistent was the chief burden of his revelation of himself to us in Christ.

In order that we may understand Gods sovereignty in saving men, it is

necessary that we trace briefly the biblical doctrine of his eternal purpose

toward mankind. It is only in the light of this larger purpose that we can

understand his method in saving individuals.

2. Gods Purpose Toward Mankind

If we abandon the abstract way of thinking of Gods sovereignty and define it

according to the teaching of Scripture, we find ourselves at once in a different

atmosphere. Sovereignty at once becomes transformed into a glorious

manifestation of Gods love for the race of man. There are four statements

which may be made to set forth this truth.

1. The first is that from the beginning Gods gracious purpose has been notnational, but racial. He has had in view not one family or nation, but the whole

of mankind. There were chosen families and a chosen nation. But these were

not only ends in themselves, they were also means toward a larger end. At one


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crisis in the worlds history Noah and his family were chosen as the channel of

Gods blessing to mankind. Later God chose Abraham, whose descendants

became the nation of Israel. Gods promise to Abraham was the disclosure of

his purpose toward mankind:

I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thyname great; and be thou a blessing; and I will bless them that bless

thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse: and in thee shall all the

families of the earth be blessed (Gen. 12: 2, 3).

This promise was repeated to Abraham many times in substantially the same

form. We do not rightly understand the calling of Abraham unless we see in

him the manifestation of Gods world-wide purpose of grace.

2. The second statement is that the course of Old Testament history clearlyshows that the unvarying and consistent purpose of God was the bestowal of

his favor upon the world at large through Israel. Israel became a nation, an

elect and holy people. In the end it was destroyed because of pride and self-

righteousness and spiritual blindness. God had made her an exclusive people

for a world-wide end. She became pharisaical in spirit. But the spiritual

treasure she bore was not lost to mankind. We need only to read the messages

of the prophets in all the great crises of the nation to understand Gods all-inclusive plan which he was working out through Israel. Isaiah recalls to Israel

the message of Jehovah,

I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my

salvation unto the end of the earth (Isa. 49: 6).

Again he says:

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness thepeoples; but Jehovah will arise upon thee, and his glory shall be upon

thee. And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of

thy rising (Isa. 60: 2, 3).

These passages represent a great class of prophetic utterances. When the nation

was broken up by the captivity the prophets came with their enlarged

conceptions of God as the key to the meaning of the great tragedy.

3. The third statement is that the incarnation and atonement of Christ implyand involve the same world-wide purpose of Gods grace. Christ was the Son

of man, and not merely a Jew of the first century. His incarnation made him

organic, with mankind. As we have already seen, his atonement was for all.

The Great Commission expressly includes all nations and every creature

in the destination of the gospel. (Mat. 28:19, 20; Mar. 16:15, 16.)
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4. The fourth statement is that the New Testament history and teachinggenerally confirms the above interpretation of the incarnation and atonement.

The book of Acts records the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles. The

choice of the apostle Paul and his mission especially signalize the universality

of the gospel. His doctrine of justification by faith was squarely against the

Jewish narrowness which would have required converts to become Jews in

principle and practice. In Ephesians Paul declares that the universality of the

gospel was the secret of the ages now made known through Christ. (See

Ephesians 2 and 3, especially Eph. 3: 4-13.) The book of Revelation in many

places gives us visions of great multitudes from every nation and kindred and

tribe and tongue redeemed unto God through the blood of Jesus Christ.

From the foregoing we draw the following conclusions:

First, the details of Gods sovereign plan for men can best be

understood in the light of his larger plan for the race. His method of

saving individual men can best be understood only in its context of the

larger plan and purpose.

Secondly, all that may at first sight seem arbitrary or capricious in

Gods dealing with men ceases to be so when viewed in the light of his

gracious purpose toward mankind.Thirdly, when there are delays in the execution of his gracious purpose

it is not due to indifference on his part to human welfare. It arises rather

out of the needs of the situation. The New Testament writers, especially

Paul, speak of the fulness of times as a principle in the unfolding of

Gods plan. Delay may be essential to the final end in view.

A Fourth conclusion is that God has never lost interest in the Gentile

nations. He has never relinquished his claims upon them. He has everplanned great and gracious things for them.

A Fifth conclusion is that while logic is good in itself, it may easily go

astray if it starts with a false premise, such as the mere will of God

conceived of, apart from his reveled purpose toward all nations, his

good-will toward all mankind. This truth must never be overlooked.

3. The Salvation Of Individuals

We can best discuss the sovereignty of God in the salvation of individuals by

asking and answering a series of questions. The first question will deal with

the crucial point of difference between opposing theories of election.
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1. Does God choose men to salvation because of their good works or becausehe foresees they will believe when the gospel is preached to them? Beyond

doubt God foresees their faith. Beyond doubt faith is a condition of salvation.

The question is whether it is also the ground of salvation. The Scriptures

answer this question in the negative. The gospel is efficacious with some and

not efficacious with others because Gods grace is operative in the one case

beyond the degree of its action in the other. There are many passages which

teach this. We cite a few. Jesus says to the disciples:

Ye did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that ye

should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide; that

whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he will give it you

(Joh. 15:16).

Observe here that the disciples were chosen not as an end in itself merely, but

as a means to fruit-bearing, and that this latter end was to be achieved through

prayer. The election included in its scope the good works which were to follow

the faith. It included also the power in prayer which was to be the expression

of the faith. Salvation is rich in contents. It is not a bare deliverance from sin.

The faith which is the condition of justification is also the germ of a fruitful

life.

Again, Jesus says: All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me;

and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (Joh. 6:37). Again he

says: No man can come to me except the Father that sent me draw him: and I

will raise him up in the last day (Joh. 6:44). In connection with the preaching

of Paul and Barnabas we read, As many as were ordained to eternal life

believed (Act. 13:48). In Rom. 8:29, 30 Paul joins together Gods

foreknowledge, his foreordination, his calling, his justification, and his final

glorification of the saints in a bond of spiritual unity and traces all back to theeternal purpose of God. And in Rom. 9:11-13 the apostle refers to the fact that

prior to their birth, before Esau or Jacob could know good and evil, and in

order that the purpose of God according to the election might stand, he chose

Jacob. In Eph. 1: 4 he declares that God chose us in Christ before the

foundation of the world.

In close connection with the above truth is the further truth that faith,

repentance, and good works are all the gift of God. In Rom. 12: 3 we read as tofaith, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith. Again, in

Eph. 2: 8, 9: For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of

yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory.

As to repentance the same type of teaching appears. In Act. 5:31 we read,

Him did God exalt with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give
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repentance to Israel and remission of sins. In Act. 11:18 also, Then to the

Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life.

The good works of Christians are also attributed to God. In Php. 2:12, 13 we

read: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who

worketh in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. And again, inEph. 2:10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good

works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.

It would be easy to multiply passages showing how the calling of sinners

effectually to repentance, their regeneration and conversion, are all attributed

to Gods initiative and grace. (See Act. 18: 9, to; Joh. 1:13;1Jo. 4:10;

1Co. 1:24-29; 11:29; Gal. 1:15, 16.)

2. The second question concerns the human will and choice: Does Godselection coerce mans will, or does it leave it free? The answer is emphatically

that the will of man is not coerced, but is left free. In his free act of accepting

Christ and his salvation man is self-determined. He would not have made the

choice if left to himself without the aid of Gods grace. But when he chooses,

it is his own free act. Gods grace is not irresistible as a physical force is

irresistible. Grace does not act as a physical force. It is a moral and spiritual

and personal power.Here we confront a great fundamental truth, viz.,the moral, spiritual, and

personal method of divine grace in saving men. This truth contains several

other subordinate truths, as follows:

(1) Gods appeal to men through the gospels addressed to the faculties and

powers in man which distinguish him as a moral, spiritual, and personal being.

Man has intelligence. The gospel appeal is addressed to the intelligence. As

Paul expressed it, Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men(2Co. 5:11). The gospel is a gospel of argument and persuasion. Again, man

has conscience. The gospel is an intensely moral appeal directed to the deepest

moral consciousness of man. Paul adds to the preceding statement: but we are

made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your

consciences (2Co. 5:11). The gospel is thus a moral tonic. Again, man has

emotions. The gospel appeals to all proper human emotions. Hope is a large

element in it. For in hope were we saved (Rom. 8:24). Love is aroused to its

depths by the gospel message. Nothing else avails if love is wanting.

(1 Corinthians 13.) The gospel produces godly sorrow: For godly sorrow

worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret

(2Co. 7:10). And so on through the list of human emotions. The gospel purifies

and stimulates all human emotions. Again, man has will. The gospel appeal is

addressed to the will.
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The disobedient will alone prevents the salvation of men. Jesus said to

the Jews, And ye will not come to me that ye may have life

(Joh. 5:40).

In his words to Jerusalem he said,

How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen

gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not

(Mat. 23:37).

Thus the gospel arouses the will. We repeat then that the gospel of Gods grace

acts as a moral and spiritual and personal force, and not as a physical force.

Men have been ever prone to think of electing grace as if it were dynamite or

some other kind of material force compelling men instead of a moral force

persuading them. Grace does not become effective until men freely respond toit. The preachers appeal may be to hope or fear. He may cover the entire range

of human emotions. He may appeal to the reason, the will, the conscience, the

imagination. But whatever be his form of appeal, his message aims at a free

response of mans will. Gods grace acting through and along with Gods

message aims at the same result. It appears supremely as grace when it

produces this free response in man.

(2) A second truth contained in the general truth that Gods method is moraland spiritual and personal is this: To reach men through the divinely given

powers and faculties, God employs a system of means. Among these the most

prominent are the church and its ordinances, the lives of Christians, the

ministry, the Bible. In a word, the means and apparatus of the gospel conform

to Gods moral and spiritual and personal method. It is not a priesthood with

exclusive rights to approach God, but a universal priesthood. It is not a church

which saves, but a church which is the spiritual home of the saved. It is not

sacraments possessing magical power, but ordinances which symbolize the

truth for the discerning disciple. It is not human custodians of the grace of God

bestowing it upon those who become obedient to the church, but preachers

proclaiming a salvation for all who will believe. In all respects the means are

thus moral and spiritual. The electing grace of God acts through such means

and achieves the salvation of men.

(3) A third truth is that the Holy Spirit acts in conformity with Gods moral

and spiritual and personal method. The work of the Holy Spirit is to teach, to

guide, to lead, to take the things of Christ and show them to disciples.

(Joh. 16: 7 ff.) The work of the Holy Spirit is summed up as moral

demonstration of the truth of the gospel. This appears in Joh. 16: 8-11, where

his work is described as conviction of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. It

is not proof to the intellect merely. It is not a stirring of the emotions merely. It
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is not sheer power exerted upon the will of man. It is rather a work which

contains all these elements in a conviction or moral conquest in the soul. Paul

employs a like form of statement where he declares that his preaching was in

demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1Co. 2: 4). Gods moral and

spiritual and personal method in the gospel thus includes a moral

demonstration within the soul by the Holy Spirit of God.

Let us now restate the doctrine of election in the light of these truths. Election

is not to be thought of as a bare choice of so many human units by Gods

action independently of mans free choice and the human means employed.

God elects men to respond freely. He elects men to preach persuasively and to

witness convincingly. He elects to reach men through their native faculties and

through the church, through evangelism and education and missionary

endeavor. We must include all these elements in election. Otherwise we splitthe decree of God into parts and leave out an essential part. The doctrine may

be presented as a mere fragment, which leads to many errors.

We may illustrate our answer to the question as to mans freedom at the head

of this section as follows: When God savesA. he wills two things, viz.,thatA.

shall be an agent or medium for conveying those blessings toB. In like manner

he wills thatB. shall be a means of blessing to C., and so on through the entire

list. Now Gods grace savesA., not by a bare forgiveness and justification.Gods grace in savingA. means the love, the sympathy, the prayers, the efforts,

and strivings ofA. to saveB. Grace does not fully work itself out in savingA.

unlessA.permits grace to awaken in him a desire, yearning, prayer, effort for

B. This desire, yearning, prayer, effort is an essential part of the salvation ofA.

Gods purpose inA.comes short unless grace reappears inA. as tender love for

the lost, forB. The salvation God brings to men is a far richer gift than men

sometimes imagine. It is not the mere plucking of a human unit here and there

as a brand from the burning. It is this, but far more. It is a salvation whichworks through human agents and agencies and which involves a great series of

human relationships and influences.

3. A third question about Gods sovereignty is this: Can we reconcile thesovereignty of God and human freedom in his electing grace? The answer is in

the negative. We are dealing here with ultimate forms of experience and of

thought. Gods sovereignty held in an abstract way and apart from our

freedom, or mans freedom held in an abstract way apart from Godssovereignty, is a very hurtful and dangerous teaching. We are conscious of

freedom as an ultimate fact of experience. We are driven to Gods sovereignty

as an ultimate necessity of thought. One has expressed it thus: I am fated; that

is false. I am free: that is false. I am fated and free: that is true. The word
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fate is not proper to express any relation to God. But apart from this the

above statement suggests the great truth with which we are dealing.

4. A fourth question is: Can we assign any reasons why God should adopt themethod of election in saving men? The reply is that we certainly cannot fully

understand. But there are some reasons which will shed light upon the matter.We need to remember, first of all, that God is limited in his methods by the

moral ends of his kingdom. His limitations are of course self-imposed. But

they govern him when once adopted. God is limited in two ways in his

dealings with men. First, he is limited by human freedom. He made us free. He

will not coerce man in his choices. If he did so he would destroy our freedom.

We would cease to be persons and become things. Gods problem is to save

men and at the same time to leave them free. This is the greatest and most

difficult of all problems. It is this problem which explains the system of moral,spiritual, and personal agencies we have been considering. God cannot take the

soul by sheer omnipotence. He cannot storm the will and take it by assault,

overpowering and crushing it. This would not save it, but lay it waste. Human

agents of redemption, persuasion, argument, entreaty, prayer, personal

influence in a word, moral and spiritual forces are the only kind available

for the end in view. God is limited by mans freedom.

Again, God is limited in his method by human sin. Sin enslaves men. They areendowed with moral freedom, but their wills have a bias which inevitably

leads to the rejection of the gospel except when aided by Gods grace in Christ.

It is not a question merely of ability, but of inevitability. Man inevitably

chooses evil. The carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed

can be.

Now combine these two thoughts. If man is free, and if he will inevitably reject

the gospel unaided by divine grace, what will be the outcome? No one wouldbe saved. But if God interposes, it can only be some form of election. But in

adopting the method of election he must work in a moral, spiritual, and

personal way on man, the moral, spiritual, and personal being. He must reduce

his own action to the minimum lest he compel the will. He must interpose

sufficiently to secure the result because the moral and spiritual process is

gradual. Character comes by degrees. Regeneration is instantaneous. But the

new birth is the beginning only of the new character in Christ. Preaching,

persuasion, in short, all the moral and spiritual agencies, require time. Ifsalvation were achieved as a complete whole in a twinkling, if character could

arise at one stroke, the case might be different. We conclude, then, that God is

limited by human freedom and sin to the method of election, and that in

executing his purpose he must, by reason of these limitations, work gradually

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5. A fifth question is: Would it not be fairer and more just if God left men toaccept or reject when the gospel is preached to them, without any previous

choice on his part? The reply is that if the final outcome is the salvation of

some and the loss of others, any other system would be ultimately traceable to

Gods sovereignty and election. Assume that equal grace is given to all. Some

are receptive, and some hostile to it. The receptive are saved, the hostile lost.

Then Gods sovereignty and election operated to provide efficaciously for the

receptive only. He did not give grace to overcome hostility. He elected thus the

receptive and only the receptive. Assume again that with equal grace to all,

some respond and believe because they are better morally, or less stubborn in

will, or more believing, or for any other conceivable reason. Clearly if these

are saved and the others lost, it is because God elected to offer a gospel

adapted to reach one class and not adapted to reach the other class. As weremarked at the outset, the fundamental truth is that ofGen. 1: 1, In the

beginning God. If it be assumed that God could save all, but refuses to do so,

then any scheme whatever carries with it the idea of an election based on

Gods sovereignty. Our own view, as we have just stated it, holds that under

the moral and spiritual conditions involved in mans sin and freedom, God

could not save all. Gods choice becomes effective through special grace based

not at all on human merit, and on no principle of partiality or arbitrary

selection. He chooses rather on a principle which makes possible a rapidmovement toward his all-embracing purpose for the human race. No instance

of individual election can be fully understood when viewed out of relation to

the universal plan and purpose. The next question brings out this point more

fully.

6. A sixth question: Is God seeking to save as few or as many as possible?Men have sometimes conceived of election as if it were a plan to save as few

as possible. The whole tenor of the Bible is in the other direction. Here wemust speak with caution. But there are many indications that God is seeking to

save men as rapidly as the situation admits in view of sin and freedom and

the necessity for respecting human freedom. The hostility of the world to

Christ and the persecutions of Christians during the first centuries of the

Christian era show clearly that an earlier giving of the gospel in its fulness

might have been disastrous. In a moral kingdom men must be prepared before

great epoch-making advances are possible. First the blade, then the ear, then

the full corn in the ear, is the process. The following points will serve to makeclear the purpose of God to save not as few, but as many as possible:

(1) The purpose expressed in the call of Abraham. We have clearly seen that

Gods purpose in that call was twofold, the blessing of Abraham and his seed

and through them the blessing of all mankind. This wider purpose never
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disappears from the Old Testament history. It becomes most explicit in the

later history after the exile in the teaching of the prophets.

(2) The land given to Abraham and his descendants suggests the same truth.

Palestine was at the center of the known world on the central sea, the

Mediterranean. It was the highway of the nations going eastward from thewest, or westward from the east. The Jewish theocracy was like a grain of

musk deposited in the very heart of mankind to prepare the whole lump in due

time. The Jewish dispersion in all directions was the preparation for the spread

of the gospel. The synagogue was usually the nucleus and center of

evangelization. Converted Jews bridged the chasm across to the Gentile world.

(3) The unity of the world under the Roman Empire when Christ was born and

the facilities for travel to every part of it were parts of divine preparation forthe apostle and the missionary with the good tidings of salvation. Thus the

good will of God for all the race begins to be manifest in a most striking way.

(4) The spread of the Greek language and culture as a medium for

communicating the truth of the gospel is another mark of the universal plan of

God. One has expressed it thus:

As the river Nile at a certain season overflows its banks and floods a

wide area, leaving its deposit of rich soil for the Egyptian farmer, andthen subsides again into its narrow channel, so also in Gods

providence Greece overflowed the national limits and left its deposit of

language and literature and then subsided into its narrow channels.

This universal language became the instrument for the spread of the gospel

over the earth.

(5) The career of the apostle Paul was a notable factor in this great series ofsecondary causes. This is seen in his message and in his travels. His message

was Christianity stated in universal terms and maintained with all vigor against

Jewish narrowness and the tendency to make it a mere Jewish sect. His

doctrine of justification by faith apart from works of the law proclaimed it as a

Gentile as well as a Jewish religion. Pauls travels took him westward, not to

the dreamy and inactive people of the East. He planted the gospel in Europe

among the aggressive, ambitious, individualistic, inventive races, who in due

time were to recover the early faith from a vast ecclesiasticism and again makeit a conquering missionary religion. In our own day we witness a new fulness

of time, in the world preparation for the gospel and a new outburst of

missionary life and power. The great war in progress at this writing will no

doubt change the face of civilization in many ways. It will prepare for new

fulfilments of Gods purpose in Christ.


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Now this historical survey suggests in a very impressive way that Gods

electing grace has never been a narrowing, but always a widening principle.

He has been ever eager to prepare men for larger blessings than they could

receive at the time. His purpose and plan have ripened as rapidly as the moral

and spiritual and personal kingdom and its appropriate forces could bring it to

pass. His love has ever sought to overleap the barriers which human sin andunbelief have interposed.

7. A seventh question: Can we discover any principle which has guided in theelecting love of God? In reply two or three things are perfectly clear.

First, men are not chosen because of merit of any kind on their part. This is the

constantly recurring note in all Pauls epistles. Salvation is not of works, lest

any man should boast. Whatever be the reason for the salvation of men, it isnot due to any merit or moral worth in them.

Secondly, it is also clear that men are chosen for service in Gods kingdom.

The Bible nowhere regards men as detached atoms unrelated to other men.

This choice for service applied to Abraham as we have seen. It applied to

Israel as a nation. The later prophets interpreted Israels mission as a mission

to mankind. Isaiah especially insisted that the remnant of Israel was the

prophet of God to teach the nations. The apostle Paul conceived of himself aschosen from birth for his apostleship and mission to the Gentiles. Jesus

expressly told the disciples that he had chosen them, that they might be his

witnesses. They were to await the enduement of power after his departure that

they might carry forward his work. In the third place, we may infer that Gods

election pursues the course which will yield the largest results in the shortest

time. Men may be so placed in relations to other men that their election could

easily become an avenue of approach to others, and these in turn to others.

There might thus arise a principle of electing strategic men, through whomGods widening purpose might swiftly realize itself. This would not imply

merit on the part of those chosen. In some cases, indeed, the strategic man

might be among the worst of men morally, and yet so related to others, or so

endowed, that he could be employed best for the ends of the kingdom. Paul

declared himself to have been the chief of sinners. But for this very reason

Gods grace obtained a monumental victory through him so that other bad men

might hope. In bowling the aim of the bowler is to hit the king pin so that it

will knock down the other nine. It is not that the king pin is in any essentialway different from the others in itself, but rather that it is so related to the other

pins that to hit it right means the largest results. It occupies a strategic position

in relation to the other pins. We may assume, therefore, in the light of Gods

universal purpose for the race of man, that he has ever pursued this plan.


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In view of all the preceding it appears that Gods sovereignty in his electing

love in no way brings reproach upon the love and grace of God. It is rather a

masterpiece of love and grace seeking to bless men. We can never fully fathom

the depths of the divine motives in his dealings with men. We can never grasp

entirely the significance of all his methods. Especially is this true regarding the

doctrine of election. But it is not difficult to see that there is nothing arbitraryin Gods ways. Infinite love is behind all his acts as well as infinite

righteousness.

4. Objections

Most of the objections to the doctrine of election have already been answered

indirectly in the preceding discussion. There are a few, however, which need

specific treatment.

1. It is objected that the teaching makes God partial. Why should he save someand refuse to save others. The answer is contained chiefly in what has already

been expressed. Election is his method for realizing a great purpose for all. It is

the only method possible under all the circumstances. But we add that election

is a universal principle in Gods methods. He chooses some plants and flowers

to be more beautiful than others. He chooses some birds to be singers while

others can only croak. He chooses to endow some men as poets and artists

while others are commonplace plodders. The black races in Africa might

complain of the partiality of God for the white races of Europe and America.

God chose Israel as his peculiar people out of all the races of men. The modern

doctrine of natural selection as applied in biology generally is a scientific

expression of the same general principle. It is evident that Gods ends in the

world could not be achieved by means of a dead level of privilege. Life in all

its forms, physical, moral, and spiritual, involves differences of various kinds,and these differences imply ultimately a principle of election.

2. It is also objected that election involves insincerity in the offer of salvationto all. The reply is that there is absolutely no barrier to the salvation of any,

save their own wills. Christ died for all. God is willing to receive all who will

come. God knows that some will not accept. Indeed, he knows that all will

refuse unless by his special grace some are led to believe. But invitation and

persuasion and appeal and mans free response are the only means available in

a moral and spiritual order. Grace can only operate thus. If angels were sent to

capture the elect and bring them in by force, this would not be a method in

harmony with grace. It would leave the will unmoved and character

unchanged. The choicest element in mans spiritual life in Gods sight is his

own free act in choosing God and returning to him. The gospel invitation


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makes this choice possible. No other method is conceivable by which it could

be so well done.

3. Again, it is objected that God does not desire the salvation of all, or else hewould elect all. But the Scriptures expressly declare that God so loved the

world that he sent his Son, and also that he wishes none to perish, but that allshould come to repentance. (2Pe. 3: 9.) The objection assumes falsely that

there are no moral limitations of any kind in God, and that he can do anything

he desires. But human freedom limits God, as does human unbelief and sin.

Men cannot be made righteous by sheer omnipotence. God cannot force or

compel any one to be good. The situation does not admit of the use of force. It

is a situation rather in which a race of men is bent on self-destruction, or moral

and spiritual suicide. God interposes by a method which respects their freedom

and gradually works out a universal purpose of blessing.

4. It is objected also that election cuts the nerve of Christian endeavor. It is feltthat if the number of the saved is fixed beforehand, there is little need on our

part to strive for their salvation. But this forgets the meaning of salvation. Our

salvation means in part our love and effort for the lost. It means our sharing the

redemptive passion of Christ. It means all the forms of self-sacrifice and of

moral worth which are required to save others. The objection also forgets that

the kingdom of God is a kingdom of human relations. God is perfecting usthrough our interactions in a moral and spiritual realm. It forgets also that the

kingdom is a historical movement in which all the parts are closely related and

interdependent.

The objection forgets the alternative of Gods election. Our effort would be

hopeless indeed without it. We would soon cease all effort because all effort

would appear to be fruitless. There is no greater incentive to effort than the

consciousness of a divine purpose working in us. All great reformers andevangelists have had the conviction. Revolutions were successful in such large

measure because a sense of Gods purpose was the impelling motive behind

them.

5. It is also objected that an insoluble mystery confronts us when we seek tounite the two ideas of Gods sovereignty and mans freedom. The reply is that

this is true and should be expected rather than cause surprise. All the relations

between the infinite and the finite run back into mystery. The ideas ofincarnation and prayer and Providence and all others which combine the

eternal with the temporal, the infinite with the finite, carry us finally into a

realm beyond our present powers. But this fact ought not to create doubt. In

science and philosophy, just as in theology, the same difficulty exists. The
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facts of experience, however, are their own best evidence, and in religion these

are incontestable.

One point should never be overlooked in considering the doctrine of election.

We should bear in mind the importance of proclaiming a universal gospel. We

are untrue to the spirit of the New Testament when we fail here. Whatever ofmystery or of difficulty remains after all we can say about election, one thing

stands out in clear sunlight in the New Testament. And that is that God sent his

Son on a world-wide mission, that preachers are not only authorized, but

commanded to preach the gospel to every creature, and to give a universal

invitation.

Hardening the Heart

6. Before leaving the subject one other difficulty should be briefly considered.Certain passages of Scripture seem to represent God as actively working to

harden the human heart and prevent acceptance of offered mercy. In Exo. 7: 3

God foretells that he will harden Pharaohs heart. In Exo. 7:13 it is declared

that Pharaohs heart was hardened. In Exo. 10: 1 God is represented as saying,

I have hardened his heart. There are many similar passages in other parts of

the Bible which seem to attribute directly to God the blindness of sinners, or

the hardening of their hearts. It is not necessary to review all of them. Thesame general principles apply in interpreting them in whatever connections

they are found. The following statements supply the needed guidance:

(1) In the Scriptures we find a sense in which any event or act, good or evil, is

attributed to God. In Isa. 45: 7 Jehovah says I make peace and create evil; I

am Jehovah that doeth all these things. The context here shows that Jehovahs

sovereignty is expressed by these words. He is in no sense the author of the

wicked deeds of men, but he permits them and overrules them for a higher end.The permissive decree or purpose of God explains his relation to events or acts

which involve sin and guilt.

(2) Again, in practically all the passages in question, the context shows that the

sin or hardening of the heart was due to the voluntary acts of the men

themselves, and not to God. In the case of Pharaoh it is declared repeatedly

that he hardened his own heart. (Exo. 8:15, 32.) The whole course of events

suggests an appeal of the divine mercy and forbearance. The final blow does

not fall until every resource has been exhausted to move Pharaoh to

repentance. Sometimes he shows signs of temporary change of heart, but the

old stubbornness always returns. (Exo. 9:27, 28.)

(3) The Scriptures clearly declare that men bring upon themselves a moral and

spiritual blindness and insensibility by persistence in sin. This may be
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attributed to God. But Gods agency in it is expressed through the moral and

spiritual laws involved We cannot violate conscience without dulling the moral

sense. We cannot resist moral and spiritual light without losing our finer

appreciation of moral and spiritual realities. This appears in Mat. 13:13-15 and

in Mar. 4:11, 12 and Luk. 8:10. These are parallel passages. In Matthew the

explanation is given:

For this peoples heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of

hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest haply they should

perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and turn again, and I

should heal them (Mat. 13:15).

A judicial blindness or hardening came as a result of their own sin. It was the

result of Gods action only as expressed in the laws of their moral constitution.(4) Finally, we must understand all such passages in the light of the uniform

teaching of Scripture that God willeth that none should perish. He invites all

men everywhere to accept his mercy. No hand that was ever stretched out to

him for help in genuine repentance was stayed by him. If he should refuse

mercy to the truly penitent it would be a denial of his own nature and a failure

to keep his promises. For him to work actively to prevent the salvation of men

would be to undo the gospel and nullify the deepest meaning of the incarnationand atonement. Nothing could be more directly opposed to all that Christ has

made known to us than the idea that God could or would hinder men from

accepting his grace. The final state of the wicked is their own self-wrought

destiny, as we shall see.
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